Caleb Downs NFL Draft Odds

By Jim Tomlin

Jan 28th, 2026 5:02 PM EST

Ohio State’s Caleb Downs won the Jim Thorpe Ward and the Ronnie Lott Trophy in 2025. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)

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A two-time All-American safety who dominated the awards available at his position in 2025 is leaving college football behind and now awaits his fate in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Former Ohio State star Caleb Downs won the Jim Thorpe Award (as the nation’s best defensive back) and the Ronnie Lott Trophy (defensive impact player of the year) last season, his second with the Buckeyes.

Bookies.com, your home for sportsbook apps reviews, developed these Caleb Downs NFL Draft odds to project what team will select him in April’s draft.

Caleb Downs 2026 NFL Draft Profile

The NFL Draft is set for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. There are seven rounds in the draft, with the first round happening on Thursday. Sportsbook operators offering real money promo codes will have a lot of prop bets for the NFL Draft as it gets closer.

Who Will Draft Caleb Downs?

The Cincinnati Bengals are not only the closest NFL team to Columbus – where Downs spent the past two seasons after transferring to OSU from Alabama – but they might be the team that needs a player like Downs the most.

In the past three years, the Bengals have ranked 31st, 25th and 31st in the NFL total defense. This season, they allowed 380.9 yards per game and squandered three double-digit leads.

At DraftKings Sportsbook, Downs has +12000 odds to be the No. 1 overall pick, but that honor almost certainly will belong to a quarterback for the fourth consecutive season.

Cincinnati is slotted for the No. 10 overall pick in the first round, on the heels of a 6-11 record this season. Will Downs still be available in that spot? That’s the big question in our odds.

We have the Bengals as the favorites, with a 40% implied probability. That would translate to +150 odds at US sports betting sites. Cincinnati would do well to shore up its defense and not waste any more prime years for the offensive trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Next on our board is the Washington Commanders (+250 odds, a 28.6% chance), who own the seventh overall pick. Washington sunk from a 12-5 record in 2024 to 5-12 this season as cracks were revealed on both offense and defense. It’s hard to predict which direction the Commanders will go with their draft strategy, but Downs would be a quality pickup regardless.

As for the team Downs is leaving behind, the Buckeyes are co-favorites with Notre Dame to win the 2027 College Football Playoff title, with +650 odds at bet365 Sportsbook. In 2024, Downs’ first season wearing scarlet and gray, Ohio State ran the table to capture the first CFP national championship under the 12-team format.

Caleb Downs Q&A

Q: Which team is most likely to draft Caleb Downs in the 2026 NFL Draft?

A: According to odds developed by Bookies.com, Caleb Downs is most likely to be selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2026 NFL Draft. While the Bengals would be a solid fit, numerous other teams – including the Commanders and Giants – are eyeing the Ohio State Buckeyes safety.

Q: When is the 2026 NFL Draft and where can you watch it?

A: The 2026 NFL Draft is Thursday, April 23 to Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh. Fans can watch the NFL Draft live on ESPN, NFL Network and ABC, with additional streaming options available through each network’s digital platforms and official apps.

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